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Monday, March 14, 2016

Writing Amidst Those Choppy Seas

I know a few writers who plot out their
stories carefully and have the whole story ready before they begin to write. For me, writing is similar to swimming in a
tumultuous sea of thoughts and ideas.

Amidst the many waves of ideas, my stories
come to me haphazardly, and they begin with a scene. I will see a new
character, usually with a name, and know immediately the character’s purpose.
The scene itself tells me what and who the character is.

For example, I had a deadline to meet for
a Civil War novella. I struggled to come up with something fresh and new, but I
was at a loss. Then one morning as I stared out across the yard, a character floated
into my mind. I saw him sitting outside a tent. I knew immediately that he was
a sutler and that his name was TuckerD.

My next step in navigating the treacherous
waters of writing is to envision an ending. I thought of my new character, what
he might be, what he might do, and over the course of a few days, I knew how
his story would end. I could see it, every part of it.

And that is how my writing process
happens. A character is given to me, and as I think on that character, I am
able to see how that story will end. The ending must be fixed before I begin
writing.

Granted, I don’t know details. I know the
main character. I know how the story will end and how that character fits. What
is left is to dive deeply into the waters and discover the shimmering jewels I
need to create everything in between.

Though it might be an unusual method for
writing a novel or a story, it is the one that comes most naturally to me.
Knowing the main character and knowing how the story will end serve as my
guidelines in creating the spectrum of the story.

Sometimes, when I explain that I can’t
begin a story unless I know the ending, I get strange looks, but knowing the
ending of the story tells me exactly what I need to know to create the rest of
it. That ending is crucial to the movements, actions, and gestures of every
other character. Everything must fit together in order to make the ending
satisfying. Otherwise, the waves will overwhelm my tale, and it will be lost.

My way might not fit everyone, but perhaps
it could be a guideline for other writers. The delight in creating, for me,
comes within the various waves, storms, and tides of the story. Having the ending clearly in my head serves
as a lifeline to keep me on course as I navigate the choppy seas of writing.

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